Method and means for bending shoe shanks



Jam 14, 136. A. D. EACH METHOD AND MEANS FOR BENDING SHOE SHANKS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 12, 1934 Jam E4, 1936. A D EACH ZQZ'YJI METHOD AND MEANS FOR BENDING SHOE SHANKS Filed Nov. 12, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 14, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT FFEC METHOD AND MEANS FOR BENDING SHOE SHANKS 21 Claims.

The present invention relates to machines and methods for permanently shaping the arch portions of shoes constructed with metallic shank stifieners so that they will conform with and support more effectively the foot of the wearer.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a machine for bending the shank portions of shoes, which will prevent distortion of the other parts of the shoe from proper relation during the bending operation.

Other objects are to provide a method by which the shank portion of shoes may be properly bent and means by which the degree of bending may readily be ascertained.

With these and other objects in view, the present invention contemplates the provision in a machine of the type referred to, of clamping devices for securing the tread surfaces of the heel and sole of a shoe in a common plane and bending means for forcing the shoe arch, between the clamped portions, into a new shape without disturbing the proper relations of the heel and sole of the shoe.

Other features of the invention comprise a novel and improved gauge for measuring the amount of permanent bending produced in the shoe by the machine, and a novel and improved method by which both shoes of a pair may be made to conform sufiiciently close to the feet of the wearer without necessitating the expenditure of time and care required in fitting each individual shoe separately.

The invention will be further explained in connection with the machine shown in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is a view in front elevation of the machine, embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a detail View of a shoe support interchangeable with the one shown in Fig. 1 for straightening the arch of a shoe; Fig. 3 is a side view, partly in section, of the machine shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a gauge employed in practicing the method of the present invention.

Most shoes constructed according to usual methods are provided with metallic shank stiffeners ordinarily composed of specialv steel suitably heat treated to render it stiff and tough. A shoe, so constructed, is illustrated in Fig. l of the drawings, with a shank 2 embedded between the outsole 4 and the insole 6. This shank may vary in width, but is usually in the neighborhood of a quarter or one-eighth of an inch wide, and extends lengthwise of the shoe from a point adjacent the tread surface of the sole to a point under the'seat of the heel. illustrated at 8.

The purpose of this shank is to add stiffness and resiliency to the shoe and prevent the arch or shank portion from becoming deformed when Wet orheated. The stiffener, however, if not provided with the proper curvature, may prevent the shoe from taking its proper shape while being worn, and unless some precautions are taken, may result in some form of foot trouble.

The machine illustrated in the drawings comprises a press for suitably shaping the shank of a shoe having a metallic stiffener While at the same time preventing other parts of the shoe from being improperly displaced. The press is formed with a main frame it and clamping and bending members l2 and M, respectively.

The shoe is secured in the machine by the clamping member, so that the bending member l4 which consists of a soft rubber or otherwise padded block may be forced against the arch portion of a shoe to bend the shoe permanently into the proper shape.

In order to maintain the other portions of the shoe in proper relation, according to a feature of the present invention, the clamping member or plate I2 is formed with a smooth plane surface it which is pressed against the tread surfaces of the heel and sole. These surfaces are, therefore, maintained in the same plane even after the bending operation is completed. The clamping member !2 is rotatably mounted at the lower end of a clamping screw i8 threaded in the upper portion of the frame it. The bending member M is connected in a similar manner to the lower end of a clamping screw 2!! threaded in a longitudinal bore of the screw 58 so as to be concentric with the screw it, the lower end extending through the plate i2. Thus, by rotating the clamping screw, the bending member is brought into contact with the shoe without changing its position relative to the clamping member. To actuate the clamping and bending screws, suitable hand wheels 2! and 22 are provided at the upper ends of the respective screws. The clamping and bending members are held from rotating with their screws by rods 23 and 24 secured to the respective members and riding in a slot 25 of the main frame.

To support the shoe, the lower portion of the frame it is constructed with a vertical sided groove 25 extending in the same direction as the length of the shoe secured in the machine. In the slot 25 there is positioned a support block 28 having an upper end forked to fit within the shoe. One of the forked arms of the block enters the heel end of the shoe and is provided with a heel plate 39 fulcrumed on the arm by means of a screw 32 passing through the bifurcated upper end of the arm and a rib extending downwardly from the plate 36. The other forked arm extends into the toe portion of the shoe and is slotted to accommodate a block 34 slidable towards and from the heel plate 30. The toe block 34 is secured in place by a threaded rod 36 engaging the block at one end and the heel arm of the support 28 at the other end, the connection with the heel arm being such as to permit rotation of the rod without lengthwise movement.

The heel plate 33 and the toe block 34 are intended to engage the inside surfaces of the shoe adjacent and between the ends of the metal shank stiffener 2 and so hold the ends of the stiffener relatively immovable and at the same time support the tread surface of the heel and sole in proper relation with the clamp plate. The toe block 34, however, is intended for proper adjustment relatively to the heel plate 30 so that with shoes of different sizes and having different lengths of metallic stiifeners, the points of engagement of the heel plate and the toe block may always be properly obtained. To prevent the surfaces engaged by the toe block and the clamp plate IS from being marred, the surfaces of the block are carefully rounded and polished and those of the clamp plate are similarly finished so that slight movement of the shoe while bending the shank may take place without injuring the surfaces.

The supporting block 28 is formed at its bottom portion with an arcuate surface which engages the bottom of the groove 26 and is arranged with a tranverse axis substantially coinciding with the point of engagement of the bending member with the shoe. The block may be rocked about this surface in order to present the sole and heel of the shoe properly to the clamping member i6. Also, since the groove 26 extends in the same direction as the shoe, movement of the block lengthwise in the groove will change slightly the position at which the bending -mamber I4 acts. 'In some cases, as with the high heeled shoe illustrated in Fig. 1, the reaction of bending may tend to cause the support block to slip in one direction or the other in the groove 26. To obviate this diiflculty the arcuate surface of the block and the lower surface of the groove are provided with corrugations 38.

To reverse the bending operation performed with the block 28, a suitably shaped support block 48 may be substituted therefor. The lower portion of the reversing block is flat and the upper portion is provided with a rib 42 protected by means of a leather or fabric covering 44. When inserted within the shoe, and the clamping plate I2 brought down against the heel and toe portions of the shoe, the rib 42 acts against the arch at the inside to return the shank to its original form. 1

By proper manipulation of one of a pair of shoes in the machine, and by fitting the shoe care fully, the curvature of the shank portion of the shoe may be made to closely correspond with that of the foot to be fitted. After one shoe is shaped in this way, the other of the pair can be made to fit the other foot by measuring the curvature of the fitted shoe and causing the unfitted shoe to be bent correspondingly. This may be effected by use of a gage having a flat plate-like member 46 against which the tread surfaces of theshoe may be positioned and a T-shaped block 48 extending through a slot 49 in the plate to engage the forward edge of the heel 8, thus locating the gage in a definite position on the bottom of the shoe. To gage the curvature of the arch before bending in the machine, the gage carries a thumb screw 50 threaded at right angles through the plate 46 which may be adjusted into engagement with a central portion of the shoe arch. After bending the first shoe to fit the foot, the new curvature may be gauged by a second thumb screw 50. The measurement of the amount of bending may then be readily obtained by determining the amount by which the second thumb screw 52 projects beyond the first thumb screw 50. If the arch in the other shoe of the pair is now bent to correspond to the curvature indicated by the gage, the two shoes may be made similar and will effectively fit the wearer. To permit shoes of different sizes to be effectively gaged, the block 48 is movable along the slot 49 by rotating the thumb screw 53 which is mounted in anupstanding lug portion of the plate 46.

To facilitate more accurate bending of the shoes in fitting the arch portions to a foot, the bending member l4 carries a vertically arranged scale 54, having suitable indicating numerals and markings. To the clamping plate I2 is secured a pointer 56 having its end bent to overlie the scale, the arrangement being such that the relative positions of the clamping plate and bending member may be read directly regardless of the positions of the members in the frame.

The nature and scope of the present invention having been indicated and a machine, an exemplary method and suitable devices for practicing it having been specifically described, what is claimed is:

1. A machine for shaping metallic shank stiffeners in a shoe to conform to the foot of the wearer, having in combination, a clamping member acting on the tread surfaces of the sole and heel of a shoe to secure said surfaces in a common plane, and means for effecting a permanent change in curavture along the sections of the shoe and stiffener between the clamped portions.

2. A machine for shaping metallic shank stiffeners in a shoe to conform to the foot of the wearer, having in combination, a clamping member acting to hold the tread surfaces of the sole and heel of a shoe in a common plane, means for effecting a permanent change in curvature along the sections of the shoe and stiffener between the clamped portions and a support for engaging surfaces inside the shoe at the respective ends of the stiffener.

3. A machine for shaping metallic shank stiffeners in a shoe to conform to the foot of the wearer, having in combination, a clamping member acting on the tread surfaces of the sole and heel of a shoe, means for effecting a permanent change in curvature along the sections of the shoe and stiffener between the clamped portions and a forked support having one arm arranged to engage the inside of the shoe adjacent the heel end of the stiffener and another arm arranged to engage the inside of the shoe adjacent the toe end ,of. h stifi er and an ther .arm arran ed toengagethe inside of the shoeadjacent the toe I end .of the stilfenerand a plategpivotallymounted on the heel engaging arm of thesupport to rock about an axis transverse to thelength of the shoe. V

5. A machine for shaping metallic shank stiffeners in a shoe to conform to the. foot. of the wearer, having in combination, a clamping memher acting on the tread surfaces of the sole and heel of a shoe, means for effecting a permanent change in curvature along the sections of the shoe and-stiffener between the clamped portions, a forked support having one arm arranged to engagethe inside of the shoe adjacent theheel end of the stiffener and another arm arranged to engage the inside of the shoe adjacent the toe end of the stiffener, and. means for increasing or decreasing the distance between points on the shoe engaged by said arms to secure the ends of the stiffener suitably in different sizes of shoes.

.6. A machine for shaping metallic shank stiff- .eners in a shoe to conform to the foot of the wearer, having in combination, a clamping member acting on the tread surfacesof the sole and heel of a shoe, means for effecting a permanent change in curvature along the sections of the shoeand stiffener between the clamped portions, a forked support having one'arm arranged to engage the inside of the shoe adjacent the heel end of thestiffener and another arm arranged to engage the inside of the shoe adjacent the toe end ofthe stiffener, a block. slidably mounted on the toe end supporting arm, and means for adjusting the position of the block lengthwise of the shoe to secure the ends of the stiffener suit ably in different sizes of shoes.

'7. A machine for shaping metallic shank stiffeners in a shoe to conform to the foot of the wearer having, in combination, a main frame having a groove formed in the base portion, a clamping member mounted in the frame to act on the tread surfaces of a shoe, a forked shoe support having an arcuate lower portion fitting within the groove of the base to permit rotation in the frame about an axis transverse to the length of the shoe and to permit the support to be moved lengthwise of the shoe, and means for effecting a permanent change in curvature along the sections of the shoe and stiffener between the forked arms of the support.

8. A machine for shaping metallic shank stiifeners ina shoe to conform with the foot of the wearer having, in combination, a main frame having a groove formed in the base portion, a clamping member mounted in the frame to act on the tread surfaces of a shoe, means for effecting a permanent change in curvature along the sections of the shoe and stiffener, a removable shoe support arranged within the groove of the frame to restrict movement of the support transversely of the shoe length, and means for holding the support in any desired position lengthwise of the groove.

9. A machine for shaping metallic shank stiffeners in a shoe to conform with the foot of the wearer having, in combination, a main frame having a base portion, a support on the base portion of the frame for holding a shoe to be operated upon, a clamping member acting on the tread surfaces of the sole and heel of a shoe to secure said surfaces in a common plane, a clamp screw threaded in the frame to actuate said clamping member, and a bending screw concentric with the clamp screw for pressing the sections of the shoe and stiffener between the clamped portions;

, l0. Ajmachine for shaping metallic shank-stiffeners in a shoe to conform to the foot of the wearer having, in combination, a main frame having a groove formed. in the base portion, a clamping member mounted in the frame to act on the tread surfaces of a shoe, a forked shoe support having an arcuate lower portion fitting within the groove of the base to permit rotation about an axis transverse to the length of the shoe and to permit the support to be moved lengthwise of the shoe, and means for effecting a permanent change in the curvature along the sections of the shoe and stiffener between the forked arms of the support,

the height of the support being such thatthe axis of curvature of the arcuate lower portion substantially coincides with the point of engagement of the bending member with the shoe.

11. The method of permanently shaping shank stiffeners in a shoe which comprises securing the tread surfaces of the sole and heel in a common plane and then bending the shank portion of the shoe to the desired extent.

12. A machine for shaping metallic shank stiffeners in .a shoe to conform to the foot of the wearer having, in combination, a main frame, a clamp'mgmember in the frame acting on the tread surfaces of the sole and heel of a shoe to secure said surfaces in a common plane, means for effecting a permanent change in curvature along the sections of the shoe and stiffener between the clamped portions, and a forked support mounted in the frame for rotary movement about an axis extending transversely of the shoe between the ends of the stiffener to engage the inside of the shoe at the respective ends 'of the stiffener and hold the shoe against the clamping member.

13. A machine for shaping metallic shank stiffeners in a shoe to conform to the foot of the wearer having, in combination, a main frame, a clamping member in the frame acting on the tread surfaces of the sole and heel of a shoe to secure said surfaces in a common plane, means for effecting a permanent change in curvature along the sections of the shoe and stiffener between the clamped portions, and a forked shoe support mounted in the frame for movement lengthwise of the shoe carried thereon to engage the inside of the shoe at the respective ends of the stiffener and hold the shoe against the clamping member.

14. A machine for shaping metallic shank stiffenersin a shoe to conform to the foot of the wearer having, in combination, a main frame, a clamping member in the frame acting on the tread surfaces of the sole and heel of a shoe, means for effecting a permanent change in curvature along the sections of the shoe and stiffener between the clamped'portions, a forked support mounted in the frame for movement lengthwise of the shoe carried thereon to engage the inside of the shoe at the respective ends of the stiffener and hold the shoe against the clamping member, and means for preventing lengthwise movement of the support.

15. A machine for shaping metallic shank stiffeners in a shoe to conform to the foot of the wearer having, in combination, a main frame, a clamping member acting on the tread surfaces of the sole and heel of a shoe to secure said surfaces in a common plane, means for effecting a permanent change in curvature along the sections of the shoe and stiffener between the clamped portions, and a forked support mounted in the frame, for movement lengthwise of the shoe carried thereby and for rotary movement about an axis extending transversely to the shoe between the ends of the stifieners.

16. A machine for shaping metallic shank stiffeners in a shoe to conform to the foot of the wearer having, in combination, a main frame having a groove formed in the base portion, a clamping member mounted in the frame to act on the tread surfaces of a shoe, a forked shoe support having an arcuate lower portion fitting within the groove of the base to permit rotation in the frame about an axis transverse to the length of the shoe and to permit the support to be moved lengthwise of the shoe, co -operating corrugations formed in the groove and lower portion of the support to prevent displacement of the support after the shoe is clamped, and means for effecting a permanent change in curvature along the sections of the shoe and stiffener between the forked arms of the support.

17. The method of changing the longitudinal curvature of the shank of a made-up shoe having a shank stiifener permanently assemble-d therein between the insole and the outsole thereof, which comprises clamping the rear portion of the shoe in such a manner as to hold immovable the rear end of the stiffener, supporting one of said soles adjacent the forward end of the stiffener, and applying a bending pressure to the unsupported shank portion of the other of said soles between the clamped and supported portions of the shoe.

18. The method of changing the longitudinal curvature of the shank of a made-up shoe having a shank stiffener permanently assembled therein between the insole and the outsole thereof, which comprises clamping that portion of the stiffener overlying the heel by opposing pressures applied to the insole and heel, supporting one of said soles adjacent the forward end of the stiffener, and applying a bending pressure to the unsupported shank portion of the other of said soles between the clamped and supported portions of the shoe.

19. The method of increasing the longitudinal curvature of the shank of a made-up shoe having a shank stiffener permanently assemble-d therein between the insole and the outsole thereof, which comprises clamping the rear portion of the shoe in such a manner as to hold immovable the rear end of the stiffener, supporting the insole adjacent the forward end of the stiffener, and applying a bending pressure to the outside of the unsupported shank portion of the outsole between the clamped and supported portions of the shoe.

20. The method of decreasing the longitudinal curvature of the shank of a made up shoe having a shank stiiferier permanently assembled therein between the insole and the outsole thereof, which comprises clamping the rear portion of the shoe in such a manner as to hold immovable the rear end of the stiffener, supporting the outsole adjacent the forward end of the stiffener, and applying a bending pressure to the inside of the unsupported shank portion of the insole between the clamped and supported portions of the shoe.

21. The method of permanently shaping shank stiifeners in a shoe which comprises clamping the sole and heel of a shoe at points between the ends of the stiffener so as to hold the ends of the stiffener relatively immovable and then bending the shank to the desired extent.

ADOLPH DUDLEY EACH. 

